Bill speeding up executions headed to governor's desk

If the bill becomes law, people sentenced to the death penalty would be executed as soon as seven months after exhausting all their appeals and having a Supreme Court case review. During debate on the measure, proponents said they wanted to provide swifter justice for victims and their families, but opponents argued the new rules could allow innocent people to be executed.

Senate sponsor Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said the bill would not impede the appeals process or preclude people from being compensated if they are wrongly convicted. Meanwhile, too many people are spending time on Death Row despite no evidence that they don't deserve the penalty, he said.

"That isn't justice, that is a mockery to the court system," he said.

Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, voted "no," citing concerns that innocent Floridians could be executed before they had a chance to prove their case.

"The question that I have is, is swift justice fair justice?" Joyner said.

The Senate approved the bill, HB 7083, on a 28-10 vote that included a handful of Democrats joining the Republican majority. The House signed off on the measure last week in similar fashion.